Late appearance of parvalbumin-immunoreactivity in the development of GABAergic neurons in the rat hippocampus.
The calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PARV) is supposed to have a protective function under conditions of experimental seizure and hypoxia in a subgroup of GABAergic inhibitory neurons in the adult rat hippocampus. Here we studied the appearance of PARV immunoreactivity in rat hippocampal non-pyramidal cells during postnatal development in comparison to glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) immunoreactivity. PARV-immunoreactive neurons were not observed before postnatal day 7 whereas GAD-positive neurons and terminal-like puncta were present at postnatal day 2 (P2) and were frequent around P5. From other studies it is known that all GABAergic neurons are formed prenatally. Our data thus indicate that in the early postnatal period GABAergic non-pyramidal cells are poorly protected by calcium-binding proteins against a pathological calcium influx.
Nitsch
R
R
Institute of Anatomy, University of Freiburg, F.R.G.
Bergmann
I
I
Küppers
K
K
Mueller
G
G
Frotscher
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000032:analysis; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase